US2599521A - Respiratory device - Google Patents

Description

June 3, 1952 BERMAN 2,599,521

RESPIRATORY DEVICE Filed June 2, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

BY fl c f ATTORNEY 4 ROBERT A. BERMAN.

Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE Robert A. Bel-man, Lawrence, N. Y.

Application June 2, 1949, Serial No. 96,689

. 7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a respiratory device, and relates more particularly to a respiratory airway, employed in the practice of surgery and medicine, for insertion in the mouth and pharynx of a patient to insure normal breathing. More precisely, my invention contemplates a respiratory airway for insertion in the mouth and pharynx to provide passageways through the mouth through which air may enter and be expelled in breathing when the patient is under the influence of an anesthetic or when natural respiration is rendered difficult by reason of the collapse of the walls of the pharynx or by the obstriiftion of the pharynx by the tongue sliding bac Respiratory airways of the type to which the airway of my invention belongs have heretofore been made of metal or hard rubber and were provided with a single passageway running longitudinally thereof. Since it is often necessary for the anesthetist or physician to insert the airway quickly, the metal or hard rubber airway would often cause'lacerations of the patients mouth, tongue and pharynx.

Another factor which contributed to lower the efficiency of these prior airways was the fact that they were difficult to clean the passageway of mucous and other foreign matter. Due to the pharyngeal bend in the airways it was impossible to look through the passageway from opening to opening to see whether foreign bodies were present or Whether the mucous had been cleared away by cleaning and sterilization operations.

It is an important object of my invention to provide an improved respiratory airway which will be free from the above mentioned and other disadvantages and which will be especially simple in construction and eflicient in use.

In one aspect my invention comprises a respiratory airway having two coextensive passageways open along the full length thereof and separated by a rib. The use of open passageways makes for easy cleaning under direct vision; it is impossible in the respiratory airway of my invention for any mucous or other foreign matter to go undetected.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel method of preparing the respiratory airway of my invention.

Other objects of my invention, together with certain detals of construction and combinations of parts, will be apparent from the following description and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, wherein a preferred embodiment of my invention is shown,

respiratory airway, and

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the respiratory airway with a front view of the flanges. v Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawing. I

Referring now to the drawing for a detailed description of my invention, the reference numeral 5 indicates a length of material employed in preparing the respiratory airway of my invention, and comprises two substantially parallel surfaces 6 and I separated by a median rib or center bar 8 to form two longitudinal slots 9 and II. The surfaces 6 and I may be smooth, as shown, for greater, strength and rigidity.

Anysuitable material may be employed for makingelement 5. For example, I may employ a relative soft elastomer, such as natural or artifle cial rubber, a cellulose ester, such as cellulose acetate, cellulose propionate or cellulose butyrate, a cellulose ether such as ethyl cellulose or benzyl cellulose, acrylic resins such as methyl methacrylate, or other suitable synthetic materials. However, I prefer to use polyethylene, a polymer of ethylene which is a solid characterized by being tough, light in weight, extremely low in water absorption and moisture permeability, and resistant to alkalies, acids and oxygenated'solvents. Polyethylene can be injection and compression molded and has a softening point of from 220 to 240 C. and, accordingly, readily lends itself to my novel method of forming the respiratory airway of my invention, as will now appear.

While my respiratory airway may be formed by injection or compression molding, I prefer to prepare it as follows: The element 5 is formed in relatively long lengths by extruding thermoplastic material, such as polyethylene, through a suitable die in the form of an H-bar. A strip of the desired length is cut from a longer length of the material and the center bar 8 is slit longitudinally through substantially the center thereof for a distance of about one half of an inch. The element 5 is then subjected to the action of heat at a temperature which softens the same, the surfaces 6 and I at the slit end turned at right angles to form flanges I2 and I3, and the body portion bent to form the pharyngeal contour l4.

As is well known, the respiratory airway is usually inserted into the mouth as soon as anesthesia has been induced. The structure of my respiratory airway, with its two substantially large passageways, is such that adequate air space is present. Moreover, when polyethylene is employed as the base material of my respiratory airway, -the airway relatively soft, resilient and therefore non-traumatic. Furthermore, the polyethylene being soft, breakage or chipping of the patients teeth is prevented. The center bar 8 acts as a bite block, thus preventing the closing of the passageways 9 and II by the clamping of the teeth.

It will be noted by reference to the'cross section on Fig. 2 that the upper and lower surfaces or flanges 6 and l have running longitudinally of the device a series of ridges and grooves "extending along the major axis. These ridges and grooves'may be prepared "by the shape of the extrusion die utilised.

'I'heelements B and 1 maybe regarded as-plates connected together but separated by the central bite block 8 or they may be regarded "as the legs Oran Hor a double U.

Ihese thin plastic plates 6 and l, "as shown with-the groovesandridges as illustrated in Figs. 1,2 and4,-contribute-to the airway construction. The embodiment of my invention shown and 'ile scribetl-herein-i's to be considered merely illustrative, as "invention is'su'sceptible to 'vfaria tion 'ii'iodinatibn and change Within the spirit are soje-of'the appendedclaims.

I claim;

month and pharynx, corn-prising an -"eldngated Hat body 01 rectangular H-shape cross section with elongated parallel *laterally extending egs, sale-stay having a plurality of longitudinally extending passageways open at the ends and aldn'g the-iiigth thereof. I

an respiratory airway for insertion in the and pharynx, cornpr ising a curved elonflat body of rectangular I i-shape cf'o'ss se't'ibn'tvith elongated parallel laterally extendi rig legs, said "body savings plurality or longitil'dinally ex-tending passagewaysopenat the ends and aliig the leii'gth'tnereor.

8.;1A respiifatory airway for insertion "in the mouth and pharynx, comprising an elongated flat stays: rectangular H-shape cross section with ,el ongafted parfa-llel laterally extendin lags, said --bo'dy having I plurality of -loii'gitudinally extending pa jageways open a "ends and along the length thereof, an integral pa r er- -1. A res iratory ail-way for "insertion in the "thereof to form oppositely disposed flanges.

5. A -respiratory airway for insertion in the mouth and pharynx, comprising two substantially parallel curved thin fiat plates, and a bar extending along the longitudinal axis of and constituting a central connection between said plates and integral with said plates, separating said plates and forming two passageways open at the ends and along the length thereof, said plates being curved atone end thereof to form oppositely disposed flanges.

6. -A respiratory airway for use in surgeryior insertion 'in the mouth and pharyn'xof a patient to provide passageways through the mou'thand pharynx "through which the patient may normally breath under influence of an anesthetic and when natural respiration is rendered'dlmcult by reason of the collapse of the walls 'o't the pharynx or sliding back of the tongue, consisting of two flat closely spaced parallel thin plates having a-central 'ba'r vertical to and con nectiilg said plates and sufiiciently thick and strong to resist the pressure of the bite.

'7. The airway of claim '6 in which "the plates at the end of the airway are turned away from each other at an angle of '90 degrees 'so that they will be substantially in the-same plane with one-half of the central bar being attached to each'of theplate's, said airway being formed of "a polyethylene. H V v ROBERT A. BERMAN.

REFERENCES EITED The following rererencs are or record in "the me or this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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